The Hylian Who Spoke Al Bhed
by MordreLupis
Summary: Link is unhappily minding his own business after the events of Twilight Princess when Sin... well.. happens. Thrown from the world he knows and into the blasted desert sand of Bikanel can Link help save Yuna? Will he save Rikku?
1. Chapter 1

NOTE-If there's some inconsistencies with Link's character, it's because they're convenient. I can't possibly go through the whole process of him being taken from one world to the next and the horrible confusion that would occur. For the most part consider his learning period to be everything and more than what Tidus learnt through the whole game. Remember Tidus was rushed, Link has time to learn things before going away on an adventure.

Overall, just _try to bear with me, some things will seem unbelievable. _

**I do not own Legend of Zelda OR Final Fantasy X.**

Enjoy

I sighed as I urged Epona into a trot. We were travelling slowly along the cliffs around Lake Hylia, but despite the gorgeous scenery, I was uneasy. Deep inside I felt a familiar tremble, a warning of danger. I had felt it many times before in my recent adventures ("If they could be called that," I would often scoff) and every time it meant extreme danger. I figured it was the wolf inside me, they always seemed to know how to sense danger, I could almost feel my furry hackles raise. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts, trying to convince myself I was being silly, I was just on edge after all that had happened.

Thankfully I'm on vacation now. I needed the break. It had been six months since I had defeated the evil king, and I have had no rest since then. First with Midna leaving, then being knighted by Princess Zelda. It was too much, nobody would leave me alone. Everyone wanted to throw me a party, everyone wanted to be my friend. My only true friends, the ones who don't fawn over me, were Epona, Illia, and Midna. Midna was ruling the twilight realm now, and Illia was in training to be mayor of the village.

Who did that leave me with?

A horse.

Yes, a faithful, well mannered horse, but a horse none the less. Sometimes I would even use the twilight stone to change back to a wolf, just so I could speak with her. She was really quite a good conversationalist, for a horse.

Still, life got lonely with your only enjoyable company being your pet. I gazed up at the wide blue sky, dotted with puffy clouds.

"You know, if there is a higher being up there, I really wish he would take me to somewhere with real friends," I paused before adding, "I'd even be happy with another dangerous escapade. At least then people talked to me rationally."

Epona whinnied loudly, and I leaned down and patted her neck.

"I know girl, I'm being silly, asking the clouds for help. Guess we'll just enjoy our vacation huh?"

Epona whinnied again, this time shrilly, her eyes rolled in panic. Surprised my mouth dropped open and my gaze shot skywards as a shadow settled over us. At first I thought it was some kind of giant water ball attack, and drew my sword to defend, but as the huge dark mass in the sky came closer, I could see moving details covering it's body.

It was a living thing, and bigger than anything I had ever faced before. Only Epona's battle experience kept her from bolting, but she reared and pranced underneath me. I strained to control her.

Suddenly a sound like thunder shook all around me, and the creature opened some kind of gaping hole in it's body, bigger than my entire house back home. A huge sucking noise ripped from this hole (that I was loathe to call a mouth), the water from the lake, a hundred feet below spun upward towards the beast. The huge cyclone of water, air and debris tore across the lake bottom, straight towards the cliffs that man and horse stood upon.

Epona tried to run at my command, but the vacuum of the beast pulled her back. The fence that kept us safe from the cliff edge was torn out of the ground, and in a desperate, panicked act, I threw my arms around my beloved horse as we were both dragged screaming upward into the maw of the gigantic beast. The last thing I saw was the master sword being torn from my hand into the whirlwind that was Lake Hylia. Then, exhausted by my panic, I blacked out.

I blinked once, twice, hissing as bright light assaulted my tender eyes. My head was on fire and my body was numb, I had no idea what was going on. I vaguely wondered if Epona had thrown me, but decided against it knowing she would sooner fall than buck.

Half remembered visions came of the giant water beast, and my hopeless attempt at escape. Scared my mind rushed, but thankfully I also remembered it was dangerous to lay on unfamiliar territory too long and I made a great effort to sit up, finding when I did, I might have been better laying down. My head spun in at least sixteen different directions, and I saw two of everything. At least I thought it was two, what I saw was really so blurred that it was impossible to tell. Beginning to think I was at Lake Hylia, perhaps down on the beach I rapidly began to blink and carefully focus my eyes.

I looked around myself slowly, I wasn't at Lake Hylia. I got to my feet unsteadily, I discovered I was on a high hill of dirt and rock, rising out of thick dense forest, full of foliage I had never seen before. The trees had huge bright green leaves, and giant bushes and vines choked the forest floor. Several small dirt pathways led down from the hill, I gazed down one of them until he say the intense aqua colour of water. I supposed it must be the ocean, it was too bright and vast to be a lake. To one side, another path twirled down through the forest, leading to a group of buildings, with a large blue building furthest from him, a village.

Unfortunately no matter how hard I strained his memory, I could find no clues as to where I was, so I decided to head towards the village and see about getting help. I was interrupted however, on the smooth dirt path by the sound of someone approaching, loudly, from around a bend. Slowly I reached for my sword, despairing when I found it missing. Quickly I searched my pack, thankful to find my bow and arrows still intact, I drew them quietly. Many enemies were actually stupid enough to make loud noises when they patrolled, that didn't mean they wouldn't hear me.

My thoughts were put to rest however when a young lady came bouncing merrily out of the trees, her soft gentle voice beckoning behind her, "Come on Kimarhi! I want to pick some flowers for the children before I go."

"Go where miss?"

"Oh!" Her mouth fell open in surprise, and in an instant a giant blue furry man was standing beside her, he was taller than a normal man, with a cracked horn atop his skull and a tail. He took one look at my bow and growled deeply, dropping to a battle stance.

I quickly dropped my arrow and lowered my bow, stowing it behind my back. "I don't mean any harm miss. I'm just lost here, and was going to the village for directions and supplies," I clarify.

"Oh dear! We'll take you back to the village, then you can find your way home!" She turned and headed off down the path the way she came, but paused when the blue man didn't move.

"How did green man get lost on island?" The beast man, called Kimarhi, asked, noting my green garb.

"I-" I stumbled, I didn't know, and wouldn't lie to such an innocent young woman, "I don't know. I was riding around the lake, when suddenly this huge beast was above me, then I woke up here."

Something changed in Kimarhi's eyes, they became softer, and his rough voice growled out the word "Sin" before he turned and walked towards the village.

By this time the girl had bounded back to me and spoke softly, "Many people get confused by Sin's toxin, but don't worry, we'll teach you everything again, and get you home. Thank Yeavon your safe."

Then she did a weird bow with her two hands cupping a non existent circle. Hastily remembering the manners I learned at Hyrule Castle, I bowed smoothly at the waist, right palm resting lightly above my heart. The least formal bow of Hyrule.

She looked at me oddly though, and murmured, "Is that like the Crusaders new salute?"

Confused I shook my head, "Who are the Crusaders?"

"Oh the toxin! You must not remember the prayer fully. Here, I'll show you Yeavon's prayer, then I'll show you to the Crusaders lodge. You can stay there while we wait for the boat to go to Luca," She paused and smiled. "I'm Yuna by the way!"

"Urmm..." I tried to smile, only getting half way, "I'm Link. What's this prayer thing?"

Confused and tired and wholly set on avoiding as much thought as possible, I chose to just go along with whatever these people decided for now. They seemed nice enough after all, and I had nowhere else to go.

"It is a prayer to Yeavon, the overseer of Spira, it shows respect, thanks and prayer. Look first you pull your hands back like this," Yuna's hands drew back and out from her body, spreading her arms, "then forward," she brought her to the front of her body, elbows bending doing the same cupping motion as before. "And finally," she instructed, "bow."

So I tried it, easily copying the movements, though I really had no idea what Yeavon was, or why it meant so much to this girl, Yuna. She had said overseer of Spira. Spira must be these peoples country, and if so, Yeavon must be their princess, or king, just like Zelda. Maybe this place wouldn't be so hard to figure out after all.

I don't think I was ever as wrong as I was that day. From that moment until Tidus washed up on the isle I was assaulted with information about everything and everyone in Spira. I learnt so much about temples, and Maesters, and summoners, and fiends, and the pilgrimage and blitzball that my brain ached every night. People wondered about me and my memory loss, but they were kind enough to keep their thoughts to themselves. Weeks passed and now, Yuna, a full fledged summoner, her guardians, the Besaid(the name of the village I was brought to) Blitzball team, and I were stepping off a boat in a city called Luca to the boos and cheers of hundreds of fans.

Yuna was officially now on a pilgrimage to defeat Sin, the giant beast that had swallowed me up. At the end of her journey giving up her life to kill him. She had to travel all across Spira with her closest friends, her guardians, to gain more powerful beasts, Aeons, to fight Sin, and then sacrifice herself. Although I didn't believe this was the right way to approach Sin at all, especially since once he was vanquished he was just reborn, I kept quiet. It was Yuna's decision to make. Now Luca was the next stop on her journey.

The blitzball team had travelled to Luca, the second largest city on Spira, because of the huge tournament being held there. And I was just there because Yuna said I might meet someone I knew there, what with the huge blitz crowds. I already knew she was wrong, but I figured sticking with Yuna might land me a place among her guardians. Although I had begun to doubt my choice, it was still all I had.

After a lot of thought about Hyrule and Spira, I decided the best plan of action was to lay low, pretend I didn't know anything because of Sin, and travel to see if I couldn't find a way home. The easiest way to travel without being eaten alive by the vicious monsters inhabiting the land, was to travel in a group. The easiest way to travel freely with a group was on a pilgrimage. The easiest way to join a pilgrimage would be to show Yuna I could protect her. It seemed logical, and I was sure I had already proved my value without even drawing on my trump card.

Throughout the forest of Besaid Island, Tidus (another unfortunate Sin victim) and myself had been forced to prove our worth as fighters against the many weak fiends living there. Although not as skilled with my bow, I still managed to outstrip Tidus, and even Wakka, an official guardian, easily. Fiends fell to me like flies, still, Yuna had a soft spot for Tidus, and he seemed to be gaining more favour among the group. I didn't mind so much, when he suddenly showed up with "horrid memory loss" my story became much more believable.

On the boat ride to Kilika (a small village with a temple Yuna needed to pray at) I had communicated with Kimarhi, revealing my secret; my ability to shift to wolf form. I ended up telling him after trying to speak wolf to him, he understood, though the translation was a little off. Eventually I came to understand the Ronso, his tribe. They were half man, half beasts, capable of fighting like both, much like myself. I also managed to prove myself by dealing a great amount of damage with my arrows when Sin attacked the ship off of Kilika shore. When I had told the others I was also talented in close range combat they seemed impressed. Though, nobody knew how close range would do any good against sin. I had considered using a bomb to devastate it, but Yuna had explained "machina", machines and science, were banned in Spira, despite their effectiveness. Apparently they're what brought Sin in the first place.

Shortly after, I almost had my chance to get in with Yuna when Lulu, another of her guardians told me she was impressed by my way of fighting in Kilika, which had been attacked and destroyed by Sin. If Yuna hadn't asked me to stay and help rebuild, all that remained was to ask her really. I was sure she would say yes, and even better, I was sure a chance would arise in Luca, Though, with a huge amount of people, comes a huge amount of fiends and my time to talk may be cut short. I wasn't wrong either.

**If you liked it, please review, even a short ^^ would make my day. **

Also, please note, this story will be worked on in two chapter segments, around school and other things. Although I fully intend to update it regularly instead of my usual haphazard biannual updates.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 already, probably cause I already wrote it before posting one. Me and my horrid posting habits.

Oh well, hope your enjoying this so far, please give this some artistic licence, it won't be perfect.

**I do not own Legend of Zelda OR Final Fantasy X.**

**Al Bhed Translations will be provided after the chapter, don't freak out when you read them.**

Enjoy

I never actually saw them grab Yuna, but I smelt that she was gone, the wolf in me was always on high alert in case of trouble. Never the less I found myself, quickly changed to wolf form using the twilight stone. The stone now hung around my neck all the time, all I needed to do was press a button and the stone would be pressed to my skin and I would change, another and it would shift away again, then I'd change back.

Kimarhi, Lulu, and Tidus were running ahead of me, but that didn't last long, as soon as they had destroyed the machina in my path I was racing full tilt down the wharf, the rest trailing behind on their slower human legs. My wolfy eyes widened as I recognized the Al Bhed barge. It had Yuna on it, I could smell her, and Wakka had always said the Al Bhed were cursed by Yeavon. I didn't have much time to think however as the barge began to pull away from the wharf, out to sea. Gathering my bulk and my amassed force I leaped from the edge of the dock landing simply on the ship deck.

I glanced around and growled softly, but was pleased to notice nobody came to great me. No people, no machina, nothing. I was less pleased to see Kimarhi and the rest stuck on the wharf, having been unable to make it in time. I would have to save Yuna on my own now.

It wasn't long before I found an air vent inside. There weren't many crew members and I managed to sneak down to the room where I smelt Yuna. Surprisingly it wasn't guarded, I guessed they couldn't spare the man power. I examined the door, and decided to pick the lock. But I couldn't very well do that in wolf form, so I transformed, glancing around swiftly to make sure no one realized, relieved when nobody came looking, I pulled a pin from my sack and stuck it into the very basic lock. It gave away with only a few twists and I began to worry. If someone goes through the trouble of kidnapping someone, they don't make it that easy to get her back again.

My attention was torn away from my worry by Yuna's voice, "Hello?"

I called softly to her, entering the dim room, "Yuna? It's me, Link. We need to get out of here."

She rushed forward and hugged me, "Link! Oh thank Yeavon, I was worried I would be stuck here forev-"

She was cut off as the boat rocked and tilted left harshly, I staggered and held Yuna up as she stumbled. Slowly the ship righted itself and continued traversing the waves. "What was that?" I asked.

"They're probably taking the ship back to port, I don't speak much Al Bhed, but I think they need to go back to get the blitz players."

"Then that's our chance out. We'll wait here till we're closer or until they stop, then we make a run for it."

Yuna looked worried but nodded in agreement.

So we waited, impatiently, silently, door closed. Praying to whatever deity that nobody thought to check on us. Our prayers were answered and our escape was made a little easier. Finally, the ship slowed, we were coming into port. I led Yuna from the room, bow drawn, arrow hanging loosely. We didn't meet anybody till the final doorway, my instincts were screaming caution, and it's a good thing they were. I caught the scent of some people, moving steadily towards us, but it had been masked by the smell of salt water around them. We had just enough time to dive into an l closet to the side, cramped together among some coats. Yuna was trying to be strong, but I could see her sway gently from exertion. Glancing through the crack in the door I saw a long trail of people dressed similarly trooping along down the corridor. Their steps were heavy and I assumed it was the blitz team, and they had just lost. As the last one shuffled through I saw out the main door, and was lightened by the sight of the blitz stadium.

I waited patiently till the blitz team was around a corner before slipping out into the hall. I dragged Yuna through the doorway out into the sun and we both had to cover our eyes slightly. Regaining my senses quickly I pulled her to the side of the deck, hiding behind some crates, slinking close to the railing for cover. I could see the dock off to one side, and we were almost there. I lifted my nose and didn't smell any humans so I slunk around a set of crates, gazing both directions. There was a short dash across open deck before hiding behind a giant crane then leaping to freedom.

Gathering my energy I held Yuna's hand tightly and whispered, "Ready?"

She nodded, seeming reluctant to speak until we got off the boat. She took a deep breath and then I bolted across the deck. My eyes were so focused on the crane, so focused on freedom...

"Dra summoner! Cra ec aclybehk!"

I didn't understand it, but I knew it meant trouble. My eyes focused on the single blitzball player who rushed back into the ships interior and my body rocked as the ship began to set sail again, faster then ever. Desperate I dashed beyond the crane and grabbed Yuna, who looked shocked. Behind me I heard a horrendous creaking noise, and then a sound like a roar, but constant like a purr. Short on time, I unceremoniously picked up Yuna by the waist and tossed her the quickly widening distance between the boat and the dock. She landed in a heap, but got up unharmed.

I was about to make the leap myself when a sharp pain assaulted the back of my head, I stumbled, turning to face my opponent. My face fell when I looked up at the giant machina facing me. It had two large barrel shaped parts for a head, and a kind of chest protector that looked as if it opened up. I head Yuna shout to me to jump, but I knew I would never get away. I shouted at her, told her to run, to find Kimarhi and Lulu and be safe. Then, I drew my boy and knocked an arrow only to dodge as the thing threw a battle blitzball at me.

I fought my hardest, and the giant machina was covered in arrows. Slowly its attacks became less powerful, they were easier to dodge. Eventually, it shuddered and it's two leg like features stumbled. It tipped over and burst into flame, just as the main door burst open again.

A young girl ran to the rail ignoring me and the machine, she saw the docks in the distance and yelled, "Yuna!"

Surprised I just stood dumbly as the blonde girl pulled away from the rail and shook her head. She looked to be around my age, or just younger, and nothing at all like a kidnapper. She had short spiky blonde hair and she was wearing an orange tank top and short green shorts. Her appearance was striking, and very confusing, what was a young girl doing on a kidnappers ship? Did she need help too?

She turned around slowly, she seemed sad. A tear fell from her face and I began to wonder what the Al Bhed's motives really were in capturing Yuna. If this girl was among them, surely they weren't ruthless killers like Wakka made them out. Yuna had obviously been well treated and lightly guarded during her short stay on the ship. Losing her didn't even make the Al Bhed angry, it made them sad.

It was then the blonde noticed me. "Fru yna oui?" She said. I didn't understand so I didn't speak

She seemed anguished by my silence and shouted "Yna oui y kiynteyh? Yna oui y sintanan?" She paused a moment before whispering, just loud enough for my wolfish ears, "Uv luinca oui yna, oui bnudaldat ran necgehk ouin meva."

"I don't understand miss." I took a small step forward, if only I could get someone, this girl, to understand I didn't mean them harm anymore.

She sighed, "It's ok."

My eyes widened, I hadn't really expected her to speak English. "You talk."

She almost smiled, I could see her lips tug. "So do you."

I actually did smile, this Al Bhed girl seemed likable enough, not all like how I had imagined. I had pictured them as having the personality of a half starved, overworked Goron. Miserable, whiny, and absolutely refusing to be nice. But I decided to wait and see, this could be an anomaly among the people, or it could even be a trap.

"Why did you take Yuna?" The question had come suddenly to me, having not even introduced myself, but I had needed to ask it.

"To save her life. I can't let her sacrifice herself on this foolish mission." The Al Bhed girl beat her fists down angrily in the air, like an angry child. She pouted and glared at me. "And you guardians, your just in it to help them."

And then I began to understand; The Al Bhed didn't want to be heretics or heathens, they wanted to save summoners, save lives. I wondered if they were looking for others way to kill Sin. The same as what I was doing, and I'm sure once Tidus figured out what was going on he would be too.

"I'm not a guardian, and I don't want Yuna to die." It was straight forward, and I looked her right in the eye. I wanted her to know we were on the same page.

The girl seemed shocked, "I'm sorry, I-" she was cut off when a loud banging noise came from in the ship, it sounded like soldiers, plenty of them. Her eyes widened and she rushed forward to me, speaking quickly, "If you promise to help me save Yunie, I'll keep you safe."

I barely managed to gasp out "I promise," before she had grabbed my hand and dragged me behind a huge cart covered in a tarp, shoved awkwardly into a corner of the deck. We squeezed together in the little area behind it, praying they didn't come looking for us, though, had I needed to, I probably could have made it into the air vent I had used before to get into the ship. It was only a foot or two away from the cart.

We had made it just in time too, several Al Bhed people came rushing out of the door carrying small deadly looking machina weapons. The leader shouted, "Rikku! Frana ec Yuna?"

TRANSLATION- For all those too lazy to go and learn Al Bhed :P

_-The summoner! She is escaping!_

_-Who are you?_

_-Are you a guardian? Are you a murderer?_

_-Of course you are, you protected her risking your life. _

_-Rikku! Where is Yuna?_

**If you liked it, please review, even a short ^^ would make my day. **

_Also, please note, this story will be worked on in two chapter segments, around school and other things. Although I fully intend to update it regularly instead of my usual haphazard biannual updates. _


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N. After a long wait and very little fanfiction writing, chapter 3. Chapter 4 will be posted right after this, it's written! I just need to format it for fanfiction and such. Though tomorrow is my birthday, so it might be posted friday or this weekend. I will attempt to write more soon, no promises though, as usual. **

"Tysh, tysh, tysh!" The Al Bhed girl muttered to herself shaking her head side to side. Several moments had passed since the Al Bhed soldiers can gone back inside, obviously thinking we weren't on the deck. I had stayed silent in that time, observing my partner. She had looked as though she was concentrating.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

She glanced my way quickly, as if remembering I was there. "I have no idea how I'm going to hide and feed you on the trip home."

I paused, "Oh... I don't want to be any trouble."

"No, no, no! If I'm going to save Yunie I need all the help I can get. I'll figure something out, just wait a moment!" She made several energetic hand gestures and smiled at me as if to reassure me I was welcome.

"Well, what's the main problem with hiding me? Will I need to hide when we get where we're going too?" I didn't particularly want to stay cooped up forever, being let out for air when this girl found a spare moment.

"Of course not!" She looked astounded. "When we get to Home, I'll just tell father you want to help. He'll let you stay for sure, though he might not like you. He doesn't like non Al Bheds." She spoke at incredible speed. I found myself stumbling already to keep up to her energetic behaviour.

An idea struck me then, and I wasn't really fond of it, but it beat staying cooped up indoors all the time. So, with a little reluctance I spoke, "If I show you a secret that could help us, do you promise to never tell a soul?"

She looked very confused, but my eyes portrayed the severity of the question.

"I promise." She stated firmly. Her eyes glimmered with hope and unchecked energy.

I took a deep breath, releasing it in a sigh. Then I touched the charm around my neck, feeling the familiar sensation of my body rearranging, changing. I sat down on my newly formed haunches and stared sincerely up into the eyes of the astonished Al Bhed.

Her mouth hung open rather humorously, closing occasionally to give the impression of a fish or even the mayor from my hometown. Finally she closed it and sat back to form words, subconsciously smiling.

"This solves our problems! You can just be my pet for now, and help me later!"

I yipped softly in agreement, wagging my tail. Although I wasn't entirely happy with the arrangement, it seemed the best at the time. Besides, I had been Midna's "pet" for quite some time, this couldn't be any worse. This time I wouldn't be forced off to battle evil incarnate, this time I could just help out behind the scenes, with these Al Bhed. Best of all I wouldn't be alone, or bored.

"I'm Rikku by the way. I guess you'll need a name too huh?" She paused and tilted her head looking thoughtful. "Maybe it's a good thing I don't know your real name yet, now I can make one up without worrying about mixing them up."

I gave a heavy wolf sigh but resigned myself to having to have a new name. Then I sat and waited, until, "I'll call you Makaht! I think it suits you."

Having not the slightest idea what Makaht meant I just wagged my tail and let my tongue loll lazily. Rikku, as her name was, patted my head gently. " I should probably keep you in my room for now. Come on, I'll get you some food too." She stood up and led the way to the door, I followed "obediently".

I rolled over on Rikku's bed considering whether or not it was proper to be on a ladies bed. Zelda would have sent me for remedial lessons in gentlemanly behaviour, but I satisfied myself by deciding if I was going to act like a proper dog, then I would have to do things like lay on peoples beds.

Thinking of Rikku I wondered where she was, it must have been an hour since she went off to get food for us. Could those men have held her up? I nearly tried to jump up and turn the doorknob before it burst open, the happy blonde grinning at me widely. In her hands two plates, one full of raw meat and the other a chunk of bread and what looked like mince. I felt my ears perk unbidden, and my nose twitched at the smell.

She walked the short distance to the bed and told me to "budge up". I quickly sat up and gave her room to sit next to me. She set the tray of raw meat in front of me and I eagerly began snatching up pieces, throwing the small scraps down my throat. I also found some lovely bones in the pile and began munching away on them. I had to admit to myself, eating like a wolf was both fun and easy. Rikku just watched with interest, picking at her own food.

"Hungry weren't you?"

I looked up at her, my muzzle coated in blood, a strip of fat hanging from my maw. She giggled and I blushed slightly, having forgotten my manners in my form and hunger. I quickly licked up the food and blood around my mouth, but there's was some places my tongue wouldn't reach. Embarrassed I looked away and attempted to scrub off the gore with my paws.

Still giggling I felt her rise from the bed and walk to the adjoining room. She came back quickly and turned my head around to face her. I felt a wet cloth against my nose and she wiped away the mess. I sat still as a statue, watching her cross eyed as she cleaned me gently. "You remind me of another guy we rescued, his name was Tidus. Found him in some old ruins fighting a fiend. Lost him on the voyage home though. Brother left him out on the deck and when Sin came along he slid off."

My eyes widened and my mind tried to piece the information together. Maybe when Tidus actually did come from here and he had forgotten. If Rikku had found him here and THEN Sin showed up...

"He was a bit odd too, kept saying he was from Zanarkand, played blitzball there."

Never mind. He was still a mystery, and according to him not from Spira. I sighed with relief slightly, if he was from another place, then people might believe I was too.

I turned my attention back to Rikku who was considering me. "You don't come from Spira either do you?" I thought she must have been a mind reader.

Yet, I couldn't very well lie, so I just shook my head. Fearing the worst I prepared to be declared crazy and chucked overboard. I was pleasantly surprised when instead I felt her wrap her arms around my huge furry neck. "It's OK Makaht, I'll find a way to get you home. Tidus too if he's still alive!"

I stuck my muzzle in her hair and licked her to show my approval, I would tell her about Tidus later when I could attempt to communicate in English.

She pulled away, back to her energetic self. She then decided I should learn Al Bhed, and retrieved a pile of books that she called "primers". Each one represented different letter translation between Al Bhed and English, slowly but surely she explained the language through the books, and it turned out to be easier than I had anticipated. Still, after many long hours of pouring over books, my eyes began to droop.

Rikku was draped across the bed, one hand barely holding onto a primer, the other absentmindedly scratching my ears. If I were a cat I probably would have purred at the pleasant sensation. It was like having a non existent itch scratched just right. I tilted my head slightly to shift her hand to a better position, barely registering that the act could be considered intimate. She didn't seem to mind anyways.

"You know Makaht, you looked a lot like a fiend when I first saw you transform, now you just look like a-" She paused for a yawn, "Like a big puppy."

Too content to be indignant I laid my head down on my paws drifting off to oblivion, as I slipped from consciousness I felt her scratches slow then stop as she too fell asleep.

My ear twitched slightly as I awoke, not yet opening my eyes. My senses told me someone was watching me sleep but I stayed still, pretending, until I could understand more. It wasn't long before I relaxed; I had recognized Rikku's scent. It was full of air, not fresh like the breezes that come from a lake, but of wretchedly hot, still air, powerful in it's ancient concentration. She also smelt of mechanics, oil and sawdust and sandpaper. It was a surprisingly pleasant combination.

Slowly I opened my eyes, feeling the gentle sway of the Al Bhed barge. Rikku was laying next to me, tucked under a light blanket. Her eyes were fixed upon my lupine face. Embarrassed I realized I had slept on her bed. I stood up quickly my bulk looming over her, and made to jump to the floor. I was stopped by a quiet giggle from the girl next to me.

Rikku shook with near silent mirth, her body rocking forward to make her sit up. My eyes questioned her, and as she reached out a hand to my body she explained, "Your fur, it's all sticking up funny." Unsuccessfully she tried to make it lay down right and I marvelled at how freely her hands travelled my bestial body. After several extremely awkward (mostly on my part) moments, she leaned back and sighed. Her "puzzled" look crossed her face, the one where her brow furrowed slightly and her eyes nearly crossed with concentration. Then with an excited yelp of some sort she leaped up and half dragged me to her bathroom with barely a "Follow me!" as warning.

Standing awkwardly on the tiles between the sink and the tub I considered changing back when I saw her run the tub's faucet. She just smiled at me though, and produced from under the water stream a drenched brush of sorts. "This is sure to make you more presentable! Now stand still..."

A difficult task for sure, she dragged the sopping brush through my entire coat, not even sparing my belly or tail. By the time she was finished I looked as if someone had poured gel into my fur and slicked it back for a party. Unable to fight instinct I shook out the water from my fur, splattering her and drawing a shriek. Never the less, true to her word my fur ruffled back gently into place. Wiping herself down with a towel she grinned at me as a non verbal "I told you so". Then she shooed me out so she could change.

Sitting on the floor outside the door I wondered what had come over me to make me such a complacent pet. If anyone else had ever tried to groom me like a show dog I probably would have bit them, or at least snapped in their direction. I considered the factors but drawing no conclusion I simply flopped down to wait.

It wasn't long before the energetic blonde popped back out of the bathroom, dressed in a bright blue t-shirt her goggles dangling at her neck. Her green shorts had been traded for longer grey ones with a white satchel tied at her hip. "Well come on Makaht, let's go get some breakfast!"

_**A/N Translation-**_

_Tysh, tysh, tysh – Damn, damn, damn_

_Makaht – Legend_

_**Ok, I know Link starts acting really weird with Rikku, it's even more weird in the next chapter. But this is what my brain told me to write, and he IS a teenage-ish guy and he had feelings too. Now... I've been thinking about doing a chapter in Rikku's perspective or something but I don't know. Not much to say, thanks for reading. **_

_**PS. Next chapter, I give you all someone to really hate too XD**_


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